John Cabot 1490S, Sailed to North America
Colonial America
Founding of English Colonies
John Cabot 1490s, sailed to North America
1588 Spanish Armada defeated, England free to explore and settle in the New World
Three Types of Colonies:
Joint-stock Company Colony
Royal or Crown Colony
Proprietary Colony
Joint-stock Company Colony: requires a charter, formed by stockholders, board of directors set policy, colonial governor appointed
Royal or Crown Colony: colonial government answers to the King (who enforces laws). However, in Virginia, local issues overseen by the House of Burgesses (creates laws).
Proprietary Colony: one person owns an entire colony
Example-Maryland owned by Sir George Calvert, who encouraged religious tolerance and civil relationships with Native Americans
Virginia Company of London
Purpose was to make a profit
Charter from James I
1607 Jamestown
Opportunity to start a new life
People of all backgrounds/religions welcome
“Dumping ground” for undesirables
Problems:
Mosquitoes, Native Americans, disease and starvation
John Smith holds colony together
Economically colony was a financial disaster
Unskilled workers sent to colony
Most in search of gold
1610 colony briefly abandoned
1613 begins to rebound:
Tobacco hybrid developed by John Rolfe
Extremely resilient, becomes cash crop of Virginia
1618 50,000 pounds
1627 500,000 pounds
1700 30,000,000 pounds
1776 100,000,000 pounds
1620s women recruited
Seamstresses, cooks, aid in population growth
1622 Native Americans attack, 1/3 of Jamestown population slaughtered
Indentured servants: individuals held by contract to provide labor for a span of 4-7 years in exchange for room and board, freedom and social mobility
New England- Plymouth
Settled for religious reasons
In England, Henry VIII appointed the head of the Church of England
Puritans- wanted to purify the church
Separatists- wanted to separate from the church
At first traveled to Holland, because the country was accepting of their beliefs
Then requested permission to settle in Virginia
November 1620
Mayflower embarks for Americas
67 travelers (35 separatists) believed they were Pilgrims (travelers for religious reasons)
Land in Cape Cod, Massachusetts (outside of Virginia Company Charter)
Mayflower Compact- document that established democratic rule within the community that prevented one person or group from wielding too much power or influence
Obstacles
Disease
Starvation
Advancements
Democratic government
Better relations with Native Americans
Massachusetts Bay Colony
1628
More puritans travel to MA and settle north of Plymouth
Interests were to establish religious society, self-govern, material success
Began trading with West Indies
Theocracy- religion tied to government
Intolerant toward other groups/ individuals: Salem Witch trials
Education- key to indoctrinate values from generation to generation
1636
Harvard established to train ministers
Puritan Ethic
Based on John Calvin
Man was born with original sin
Can be saved by the grace of God
Predestination- a person’s fate predetermined
Leaders
Political leaders were also church leaders
Moral leaders
Financially successful
Key Characteristics/ Values
Hard work, temperance, thriftiness, moderation
Puritan ethic connected to capitalism
New England began shipping timber to England and other colonies
For shipbuilding, fishing, building homes
New York-New Netherland
Settled by Dutch
1664
England takes over; Charles II gave land to brother James, the Duke of York
Quakers
1650
Protestant
George Fox 1624-1691
“Man’s love for God can best be shown for man’s love for man.”
Salvation for all people
Believed they possessed the “inner light”
They believed they could hear God’s voice
Preached equality
Refused to take oath to king, only to God
Settled in NJ and PA
Pennsylvania- “Penn’s Woods”
Proprietary Colony
William Penn
1682
Penn traveled to colony and laid plans for Philadelphia
1685
9,000 people residing in the city
Politically successful
Religious refuge for Mennonites, Huguenots, Irish Catholics
Diverse population
New Jersey
Sit George Carteret and Sir John Berkeley
1674
Berkeley sells West Jersey to Quakers
1682
Penn bought East Jersey
1702
East and West united
Farms produced
Wheat, rye corn
Sold to southern and New England colonies
Exported to Europe and West Indies
Maryland
George Calvert (Lord Baltimore)
Established first proprietary colony
He was Roman Catholic
1649
Maryland Toleration Act
Religious freedom for all Christians
The Carolinas
Charles II gave land to eight nobles, including William Berkeley (governor of Virginia
Carolina named after Charles
Belong to Church of England, but welcomed all religions
Fundamental Constitution of Carolinas
Designed by English political philosopher John Locke
Society based on class status
Nobles at the top
Three Distinct Areas:
Mountainous Highlands- western boundary, Appalachian Mountains
Piedmont- base of the highlands, between mountains and sea level
Tidewater- flat coastal plain
Cash Crops and Plantation System
Aristocratic landowners controlled government
Owned huge plantations
Indigo, rice, tobacco, cotton
1712
Carolina divided into two parts; each had own government
North Carolina
Most settlers came from other colonies in New England and Virginia
South Carolina
Most settlers came from England
Some owned plantations on West Indies
Some Protestant refugees from France
Georgia
1732
Separated from South Carolina
James Oglethorpe (leader of a group of proprietors
Wanted to provide a place where people imprisoned for debt could make a new start
Provided a barrier against Spanish Florida
Became haven for poor shopkeepers and artisans from England and Scotland
Roman Catholics banned
Economic Life in the Colonies
Sir Walter Raleigh- “Whoever commands the trade of the world commands the riches of the world and consequently the world itself.”
Mercantilism- an economic system prevalent in Europe after the Middle Ages in which each nation attempted to sell more than it bought in order to increase its supply of gold
Colonies provided: precious metals, lumber, cotton, wool
Slavery
Supplied constant supply of cheap labor
Planter had complete control over workforce
Life of a Slave
Middle Passage- from Africa to America
Men, women, children crammed below deck of slave ships
Chained to each other
1/3 died from heat and disease
America
Worked in fields, as carpenters, blacksmiths, barrel makers, sailors
Lacked legal rights
Often separated from family
Slave Codes maintained control over slaves
Navigation Acts: colonist traded only with England
Colonial merchants were allowed to ship goods only on colonial or English vessels
¾ of crew had to be colonial or English sailors
An attempt to control/ compete with Dutch merchants
Enumerated commodities were goods that could only be shipped to England:
Sugar, cotton, indigo, ginger, tobacco, wood, rice, naval supplies
Colonists could only import English products or products that went through England, except for slaves, wine, horses, salt
Impact of navigation acts:
English government granted bonuses
Colonists protected by British forces (Army, Navy)
Some colonists lost profits through trade restrictions
Eliminated competition
Triangular Trade:
New England received slaves and molasses for rum
Rum and other raw materials went to Africa
Africa sent slaves
British West Indies could not meet demands for molasses
New England imported molasses from French, Spanish, and Dutch West Indies
British profits are reduced
Molasses Act of 1733
British imposed a stiff tax on all molasses or rum imported from other areas
New England ignored the law